For many shoppers, fruit doesn’t taste the way it used to. Grown for shipping, picked before ripening, and bred to survive long supply chains, much of today’s produce arrives looking perfect—but tasting forgettable.
That’s a world away from how the Pérez Ruíz family has farmed for generations. On their estate in rural Spain, the brothers behind Frutas de Toro still grow apples, pears, and stone fruit the way their grandfather did—letting them ripen on the tree, treating the land gently, and working with the seasons, not against them.
What hasn’t come easy is reaching the customers who care. Until now.
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To keep that tradition alive, the family turned to Temu—an online shopping platform that lets them sell directly to customers, without relying on middlemen or bulk distributors. By attracting new customers, it’s given them a way to sustain their small farm, stay independent, and keep growing fruit the way they always have |
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“With Temu, we finally found a way to keep growing fruit just as our grandfather did, and still reach new customers, including outside Spain,” said 53-year-old owner Pablo Pérez Ruíz.
A Family Farm with Deep Roots
Frutas de Toro’s story began more than 80 years ago, when Pérez Ruíz’s grandfather left a sweets business in Valladolid to start in Villaveza.
He bought former grazing land and planted local apple and pear varieties, later adding stone fruit and nuts. Through Spain’s fruit boom of the 1970s and beyond, the estate kept to careful land stewardship and fair labor practices—earning a local reputation for responsible farming.
Today, the brothers maintain that approach with updated plantings and equipment that speed harvest without sacrificing the farm’s low‑intervention ethos.
Direct to Consumer, on Their Terms
With traditional distribution, Frutas de Toro found that middlemen and bulk distributors added layers of cost and delays to delivery. On Temu, the company lists products directly, sets expectations with buyers, and ships from its own facilities.
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Their juice brand, Alejandrino, debuted on Temu in January and is named after their grandfather. Pressed on‑site from estate fruit, the juices are not from concentrate and contain no added water or preservatives. “It’s like eating a piece of fruit,” Pérez Ruíz said. |
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By cutting out bulk supply chain delays, the farm can let fruit ripen fully on the tree before they’re picked. Supermarket versions are typically picked earlier to accommodate the long transit. |
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From picking to pressing and bottling, Frutas de Toro’s estate also stores and ships directly. After getting onboarded to Temu, the gate to the rest of the region opened to them, said Pérez Ruíz.
Reaching New Buyers Across Europe
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The Pérez Ruíz family is among a growing number of small producers moving online to reach new markets. Temu, which launched in Spain in 2023, has attracted consumers looking for value during a period of rising living costs. |
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It’s also attracted businesses who’ve found that Temu offers a low-cost alternative to traditional distribution and legacy e-commerce. With low upfront costs and more control over how they sell, many sellers say it’s helped them take back the power to shape their business on their own terms. With 77% of Spanish users saying they would recommend Temu for its competitive pricing and quality‑to‑price ratio, local sellers like Frutas de Toro can connect with buyers seeking both variety and value. |
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With the fruit juice brand Alejandrino’s early traction on Temu, the family is now looking to list other products like estate‑made cider, quince paste, nuts, and seasonal fruit. Interest is strong from northern Europe, where fresh fruit is scarcer much of the year, and the team is working through logistics to expand cross‑border delivery. |
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The estate remains a working ecosystem—home to deer, foxes, hares, and wild boar. The family’s children play under the same almond trees their great‑grandfather planted. |
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“Thanks to our grandfather, we have this land. And now, thanks to Temu, we can share it with people who care about where their food comes from,” said Pérez Ruíz.
